Primer and humidifier for internal-combustion engines



c. c. ECKHARDTQ PRIMER AND HUMIDIFI ER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED APRL25, 1919.

1,375,496. Patentd Apr-19 1921.

/NVENTO/ 6% a (di UNITED STATES rarsnr err-res.

CHESTER c. ncxrmnnr, or aocnins'rna, NEW YORK.

PRIMER AND HUMIDIFIER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTIQN ENGINES.

Application filed April 25,1919. Serial No. 292,705.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHESTER C. Eon- HARDT, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Primers and Humidifiers for Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

This invention relates to auxiliary devices for attachment to internal combustion engines, and, more particularly, to devices of the variety employed to modify the fuel charges, or to supply auxiliary charges for the engine, one object of the invention being the provision of an attachment of this nature adapted for a variety of uses, and of simple and inexpensive construction, convenient to operate and readily applicable to any internal combustion engine.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which may be used for supplying combustible, decarbonizing or other liquid or vapor charges to the engine, or for humidifying the air supply or for other purposes, and which is conveniently adaptable to these various uses. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: V Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly sectional, of a portion of an automobile including the engine, dash and instrument boards, showing the invention 7 applied thereto; 7

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the container of the attachment; Fig. 3 is a front view of a portion of the attachment, showing the container and valve;

"Fi 4 is a fra mentar detail artl in a a y 2 P y section, of the valve and piping. I

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

This invention is. applicable to any'variety of internal combustion engines, whether for marine, stationary or vehicular use and the embodiment at present preferred, as best applying the principles involved, is shown in Fig. 1 applied to an automobile of which the engine is denoted by-lO, having the usual intake manifold 11 and a dashboard 12'and instrument board 13. The invention comprises a container 14 attached to the forward side of the dash by means of lugs 15, the bottom of the container, preferably, being formed with a tube 16 having a threaded bore 17. Within the container is a tube or conductor 18 provided adjacent its top with lateral openings 19 communicating with the The upper end of the conductor is provided with a slot 23 for engagement with a tool, if necessary, for turning the conductor to adjust it in tube 16.

The top 24 of the container carries a depending tube 25 communicating at its lower end 26 with the container adjacent the bottom of the latter and this tube extends above the top of the container where it is threaded and provided witha threaded closure cap 27, the threaded portion of thetube being placed inv communication with the atmosprovided with openings 28 which may be I phere by partially unscrewing the cap. The

top of the container is also provided with a filling opening 29 having a threaded flange 7 30 with which enga'gesa' threaded closure cap 31, the flange of the opening having formed therein a vent 32 which may be opened or closed to the atmosphere by adjustment of the cap as in the case ofcap 27.

Connected with the lower end of tube 16 is a pipe .33 having formed therein a valve seat 3a to which is fitted a valve 35 held on its seat by a spring 36 pressing at one end against the'valve seat and at the other against a head 37 on a'lug projecting from the valve. 'The latterhas fixed thereto an arm 38 with which is pivotally connecteda rod 39 extending; through an' opening 40 in the dash board and through a guide tubetl' suflicient friction to maintain its adjusted position. Pipe 33 is connected below the valve by means of a coupling 43with a tube ea'which extends forwardly to and communicates with the intake manifold of the engine at 45. The front of the container is provided with a transparent portion 46 through which the quantity of liquid contained may be observed.

The invention is useful for a number of different purposes, such, for example, as priming the engine in cold weather, supplying decarbonizlng liquids and also lubricants to the cylinders, and humidifying the air of the charge. When used for priming, the container is partially filled with gasolene or other suitable priming fluid and conductor 18 is partially unscrewed to bring its openings 21 into communication with the liquid in the container, cap 27 being turned down to seal openings 28 and cap 31 being partially unscrewed to disclose vent 32, if necessary to relieve any vacuum that may form in the top of the container. With the parts so adjusted, when valve 35 is open, the liquid fuel in the container is drawn by the suction of the engine through the manifold into the cylinders, thus priming the engine to. assist in starting it when cold.

Any fluid, of course, may be similarly used in the container, as, for instance, a decarbonlzer such as kerosene, or similar agents or mixtures thereof, or a lubricant may in this manner be supplied to the cylinders.

If it is desired merely to supply to the cylinders air heavily charged with an eX- plosive vapor, such as that of refined gasolene, ether or similar fuel, conductor 18 is turned down to close openings 21, so that it communicates with the container through,

openings 19 above the liquid only, and cap 27 is partially unscrewed to expose openings 28, cap 31 being turned down to close the vent. With this arrangement of the parts, the container having been partially filled with the liquid, the suction of the engine draws air down the tube 25 and up through the liquid andthence throughthe conductor 18 to the engine, the air by this means being caused to bubble through the liquid and be come heavily charged.

Another important use of the device is for the purpose of supplying humidified air to the engine, which, as well known, increases at times its efiiciency of operation.

7 For this purpose, the container is partially filled with water, cap 27 is unscrewed to expose openings 28 and conductor 18 is turned down to close openings 21, as before, so that air is drawn down tube 25, up through the water, down conductor 18 and to the engine. a

The device may be" adapted to any variety of internal combustion engines as by modifying the pipe connection 4 1 and the operating connection for valve 35. .The construction is simple and inexpensive, and

effective in operation, and the device 1s conveniently adaptable, by the adjustment of the parts described, forthe variety of uses for which it may be employed.

I claim as my 1nvent1on:

1. An attachment for 1 "ternalcombustion municating at one end with the atmosphere V and at the other with the bottom of said container, means for closing said inlet, a conduit extending from-the intake of the engine through said container, and communicating with the top of the latter, and means for controlling communication between said conduit and the bottom of said container.

' 3. 'Anattachment for internal combustion engines comprising a container, an air intion engines comprising a liquid container,

controllable means for admitting air to sald container at its bottom, a single conduit communicating at one end with the intake of the engine and at its other end with said container, and adjustablemeans for selectively supplying air to said conduitabove the liquid of the container, or for supplying liquid thereto at a point adjacent the bottom of said container.

5. An attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a liquid container having an outlet adjacent its bottom, a conduit communicating with said outlet and with the intake of the engine, a conductor within saidcontainer communicating with the latter above the surface of the liquid therein and with said'outlet, said conductor having adjustable means iior controlling communication between said outlet and said container below the surface of the liquid therein, and. controllable means for admitting air to said container below the surface of the liquid therein under the action of the partial vacuum transmittedby said conduit from the engine intake.

{CHESTER c. ncrznann'r. 

